Juicy, Crispy Catfish

“There is a new catfish place in town,” says yoyo. It is Thien An, and its glorious catfish is the finest of the Vietnamese baked catfish joints in the area. “The skin is slightly sweet and crispy. There was juice oozing out of it. Two of us finished a small catfish and licked the bones dry,” says yoyo. ” I’ve been there 6 times in the last 5 weeks.”

But you must order carefully, says yoyo. If you mis-time your order, your catfish won’t be as juicy. Most importantly: You don’t want to order too early. For absolute primo results, call exactly 30 minutes before you show up. Also: Ask for “mehh sauce” (tamarind sauce) and to throw in some peanuts, lemongrass, and chile.

Beef with lemongrass and onions—number 7 on the menu—is good. Drinks aren’t recommended, at least not by yoyo.